The Secrets That We Keep
by bethanyhallen
Summary: Today, she is glowing. Glowing. He can see her smile through the thin veil covering her face, walking toward him, ready to be his wife.


**Disclaimer: **I own nothing...for real.

**A/N: **If you don't like fluff, you will not like this. But if you do like fluff then I hope you enjoy this! I also hope you forgive the mistakes that I've made. I'm not a writer...I just have a lot of feels for our duo. Not really any Spoilers either. I have a lot of thoughts on their wedding day and do not believe it will go down in the books like this...or any other easy way. Also, if you'd like to review that would be great!

The knock on the door startles him out of the reverie he had been in for how long he doesn't know. The last thing he remembers is Alexis straightening his tie, telling him she'd see him 'out there' as she put it. Like 'out there' was somewhere normal. It's so not normal. Though 'out there' is what he's been waiting for, working for, for years and he is ready for it.

Though it isn't yet time for him to leave the room he had been regulated to for the past hour, the knock sounds again and he moves to answer it. Castle wants it to be her, he knows it isn't. It is not her because he can't see her until it's time for both of them to be 'out there'. Something about bad luck, but really, he knows deep down she just loves the tradition. Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue and all that jazz.

He can't blame Kate.

He loves it too.

He opens the door to find Lanie on the other side, tapping her foot a look of irritation gracing her face.

"Lanie?"

"Let me in, Castle."

He obliges, opening the door to letting his wife's, or his soon-to-be wife's, maid-of-honor into his dressing room.

"Is everything okay?" Because he's having visions in his head…All of them leaving a bad feeling in his stomach, all of them ending any other way except 'I do'.

"Everything is fine, Castle. Your girl is just down the hall, looking gorgeous as always, dress on and veil in place."

Not that he feared her getting cold feet. No, Kate was ready for this; she's been even more calm and together than usual. Kate was as ready to be his wife as he was her husband.

"Get that sappy look off of your face, Castle. I don't know who is worse today, you or her."

His smile only spreads wider on his face if that's possible.

He is ready.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Lanie?"

"Kate got your gift, the bracelet was beautiful by the way and she sends her thanks."

"She doesn't need to thank me, Lanie. It's customary for the groom to send his bride a gift."

"That is true, however, our girl being who she is, wanted to send something to you as well." She says lifting the black box that he hadn't noticed that had been clasped in her hand, white satin bow tied around it.

"What's this?"

"It's a gift, Castle. You've been playing detective so long I would have thought you would have gotten that right off," she says teasing him just a little.

"I see that, but what is it?"

"You have to open it to find out because even I don't know that. She was very specific though, you had to be completely alone when you opened it. So on that note, I'm gone," she says leaving him to the box now in his hands.

"Thanks, Lanie."

"No problem, Castle. Just take care of my girl okay?" She says turning back to him before she closes the door completely.

"You know I will, Lanie," he says as the door clicks closed.

He pulls the ribbon loose of the bow.

* * *

She had saved it for a week. Wrapped it in a box, hid it in the back of their closet somewhere there would be no reason for him to look, wanting it as a special gift for him. She sits alone while she waits for Lanie to come back to her suite. She's finished with her hair and make-up. She's ready for the walk she and her father are getting ready to take. Ready to meet Castle at the end of it where he will be waiting for her, where she will placed in his care even though she's been there for years now.

She fiddles with the bracelet he sent her. Somehow he knew it would match the earrings she would be wearing and her mother's ring that that's around her neck, though it's not visible with the neckline of her dress. She loves it; he never fails to surprise her with his thoughtfulness.

The door opens and Lanie is back with her before she realizes it.

"Alright girl, your writer has his gift, you've got yours ten minutes and you're gonna be ready to walk down the aisle," she says to her with a smile. "You want to tell me what was in that box yet?"

"Lanie."

No, she's not going to tell her. She knows this, but Kate is sure Lanie thinks eventually the questions will break her. This is the medical examiners form of interrogation.

"I didn't think so," Lanie answers her own question with a smile.

There's a knock on her door and her dad is let in. She wants to cry because she is marrying the love of her life, she wants to cry because her mother isn't here to celebrate with them. She and her father share a soft smile because he knows what is going through her mind. But today is a happy day and Kate will not let the sadness sweep her under.

"Katie, I do believe there's someone waiting on you."

He takes her hand and leads her to her future.

* * *

The music starts and every one stands. To be honest he barely remembers his daughter or Lanie walking down the aisle, he's not taken his eyes from the doors at the back, just waiting for a glimpse of her.

He's not disappointed when he sees her. Lanie was right, though he had no doubts about how beautiful she would look on this day. There isn't a day that goes by where he's not stuck by just how breathtaking she is. Today, she is glowing. Glowing. He can see her smile through the thin veil covering her face, walking toward him, ready to be his wife.

Ready for everything he has dreamed for them and everything she never even knew she wanted.

When her hand is placed in his, he brings it to his mouth, kisses her knuckles once and then again. He's bursting with love for her. For the secret they share in this moment.

His heart exploded with love when he opened the box she had sent him. Inside laid a plastic stick, the window displaying a positive sign.


End file.
